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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

A Veteran Beginner

After a low gear grind through Chattooga 50k recently it is clear that the base mileage I have run this year has been sufficient to complete a given distance... But, now, it is time to rekindle the quick twitch and see again how well a long distance can be run, not just that it can be run.

In an effort to overcome post-goal-race-depression of the endurance athlete, I have been hard at work researching my next goal event to build on this base. I have the motivation of coming in an hour and 7 minutes after The Sean of 2009, not that we can race ourselves... and not that I was racing... but, it is time I do better. It is time I see what I am capable of once again!

So with goal 50k race chosen (more to come later) and the calendar counted, my plan is hatched and this week I have began with some simple plyometrics to work toward more structured speed work later on. These short explosive workouts will serve to prime the LT pumps later and avoid being placed on the shelf.

Sunday was my first attempt at said plyos and it was... a benchmark, a very low benchmark. Lasting all of 6 minutes; I was leaping and bounding, jumping and landing with a more and more spastic form worthy of the enthusiastic urging barkings of our 90 pound sheep dog, Goliath. He was pretty certain I had lost my marbles in the yard and really wanted to celebrate the insanity as he bounded, leaped and barked his emotions to all within ear shot. I appreciated his support... if not his taunting!

Now I know where I am at... and that with even a little consistency I will improve greatly... because, it could not have been much worse! Here I am back to feeling like a beginner... but also having that little edge of focus to build something upon.

It is hard not compare with previous incarnations of ourselves. When we do, it is unfair. Life changes and demands increase on time and our energy. Still, this is no excuse to settle and accept less than we are capable of. If anything, this is our opportunity to find out what we are really made of as runners and as people!

4 comments:

Awesome! Life does go on and it becomes increasingly hard to compare ourselves to our past. I've run a 20:01 5k (okay . . . I know that's not really fast . . . but it was MY fastest!). Today I'm running them in 31 minutes! All my fast-twitch muscles have moved to my stomach!

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